Stamping her authority on the world stage and living up to her name and reputation, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce registered her fifth world 100m title in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday. The Jamaican legend was a sight to behold as she raced her way to victory in just 10.67 seconds which is a championship record. Following Fraser-Pryce in her exploits, Shericka Jackson held the silver medal after registering her personal best of 10.73 seconds.
"I went back home and I worked and I worked and I came out here, and I had the success", said an elated Fraser-Pryce in her on-track interview
The Jamaican athlete who is 35-year old and is a mother of a four-year-old kid stunned the entire world with her legendary feat. A night that started with thoughts that Thompson-Herah might knock off Florence Griffith-Joyner's 34-year-old world record of 10.49 closed instead with Fraser-Pryce setting a world-championships record. Marion Jones set the old mark of 10.70 in 1999.
With her blonde and green-tinted hair waving in the breeze as she jogged through her victory lap, stopping to take pictures with fans that cheered her as loudly as anyone Sunday, Fraser-Pryce was all smiles, a different reaction than last year in Tokyo, when she finished second by a sizable 0.13. The Jamaican sprinter also happens to be the first athlete to win five gold medals in a track event at the World Championships with Sunday's victory following 100m golds in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2019.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has been nicknamed the pocket rocket and she easily justified her name as she raced her way to victory. Usain Bolt won three world titles in 100 meters over his decade of dominance. Fraser-Pryce now has five over a span that dates to 2009 in Berlin, the world at which Bolt set the men's 100 record of 9.58 that still stands. Fraser-Pryce was 22 then.
(Inputs from PTI)
